A Harsh Wind
by dabbling
Summary: It's up to Little Joe to rescue his captive family from Thugs. A little humor in the mix as well.
1. Chapter 1

A/N This story was posted about ten years ago on a site called Behind the Wagon, so it's possible you've read it before. I'm just happy to have found my old files! I may be a little slow in getting the whole story posted, since I have some formatting to change and some retyping to do, but I'll work as steadily as I can!

* * *

A Harsh Wind

Joe tightened his bandana around his nose and mouth and pulled his hat down hard over his eyes. Squinting to keep the sand from blowing into his eyes, he could barely make out the form of Hoss, ten feet away. There were about 15 head of cattle between them, the last of the strays they'd spent the last two days searching for. The animals bellowed and snorted uncomfortably in the blowing dust.

Cochise tucked his head down and plodded on. Joe patted the animal's neck gently and nudged him to go a little faster.

Suddenly, one of the cows screamed and ran wildly in the wrong direction. Joe saw Hoss' form fade and disappear, chasing after the cow. The wind changed direction, blowing painful bits of grit against Joe's cheek and, unhappily, into his ear. He saw Hoss' form return. The wind was far to strong to talk over, so the men plodded on in silence.

They rode through the early afternoon dust storm and the brief late afternoon monsoon, and finally, after the weather settled so did they. Hoss was cooking dinner while Joe stood wiping his neck in vain with a filthy bandana.

"You all right, little brother?"

Joe smiled. "Well, I'd give my left arm for a bath right now."

"Ain't that the truth. I ain't never been so dirty in all my life." Hoss reached over to lift the cook-pot from the fire, and nearly dropped it, wincing.

"What's the matter with you?" Joe asked.

Hoss held a hand on his right shoulder. "Aw, nothin'. I reckon I pulled a muscle when I roped that stray doggie today."

"Well, here, let me get that." Joe served up two plates of Hoss' stew for them, and Hoss sat down against a rock to eat. "I don't even wanna know what you put in this, do I?"

"It ain't nothin' bad," Hoss said. "Just some potatoes, and carrots, and some jerky."

Joe spat heavily. "And dust." He settled in against a rock and carefully chose his next spoonful. "You know, I think that's the worst feeling in the world. Biting into food and getting sand in between your teeth."

Hoss grunted his agreement and continued wolfing down his meal.

"You know," Joe continued, "A man could lose his appetite watching you eat."

"More for me," Hoss mumbled, and Joe laughed.

* * *

"Hey, c'mon, what's takin' you so long, you big ox?" Joe grinned as he said it, tying his bedroll onto the back of his saddle.

"Joe, I'm sorry, but I can't hardly move this arm this mornin'," Hoss explained, gingerly touching his shoulder.

A look of concern crossed Joe's face. "Yeah? Let me see it." He walked over to his brother and, not being able to see anything through the shirt, reached out and touched the sore shoulder.

"Ow!" Hoss yelped, stepping backwards. "Since when does seein' involve grabbin' it and yankin' it out of socket?!"

"Oh, c'mon, ya big baby, I barely touched it."

"Well it didn't feel like ya barely touched it," Hoss grumbled.

"Can you move it?"

Hoss tried, but barely moved it an inch before a look of pain crossed his face.

"It must be bad, Hoss. You better get to a doctor."

"Yeah, but what about these strays?"

"It's not that many. I can drive 'em alone. Besides, you ain't gonna be much help with that arm."

Hoss sighed. "I reckon that's true."

"I'll help you pack up."

* * *

"What's so funny, Pa?" Adam asked at supper.

"Oh, well, you remember that Edith Wallen I told you about?"

"Yes, wasn't she the one that tried to sell you that parrot?"

Ben laughed. "Yes, yes, that's her! It says here," Ben smacked the letter he was reading, "that she pawned it off on Ben Harper in San Francisco, and it turns out that the bird says nothing but foul words!"

Adam smiled.

"But what's even funnier is that it didn't talk at all until Ben's mother-in-law came for a visit!"

The two men shared a long laugh, and were interrupted by the front door opening.

"Hoss!" Adam said cheerfully, and rose to greet his brother. "You fellows made it back quickly!" Ben rose from his seat and walked to the door.

"Well," Hoss said, adjusting his sling uncomfortably, "It ain't exactly both of us. I tore up this shoulder and had to get Doc Martin to look after it. Joe's tendin' the doggies alone."

"Well, what's the matter? Are you all right?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, yeah, the Doc says I'll be fine. Just tore some muscles in there a little bit."

"Where'd you leave Joe?" inquired Adam.

"About a day's ride... two, tendin' cattle. He'll be all right, as long as the weather don't get nasty again."

"Caught in the monsoon, eh?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, but before that was a terrible dust storm. It was downright miserable."

"Well, c'mon in and have some supper," Ben said, clapping Hoss on the back.

"Yeah, Pa can tell you about old Edith Whitten," Adam said, and the two older Cartwrights chuckled.

* * *

Ben awoke to the sound of a crash downstairs. He climbed out of bed and walked to the door, pulling on his robe as he went. "Hoss? You all right?" He called, deciding his middle son must have gone in search of a midnight snack.

He was answered by a string of Chinese, followed by a thud, then an eerie silence.

"Hop Sing?" Ben called, but there was no answer. He turned to retrieve a gun from his nightstand, but was stopped by the sound of hammers clicking behind him. Hoss stood in the hall now, too, and both men had been silenced by the weapons.

"Go downstairs, now!" Long and lean, the man looked as if he'd never had a square meal in his life. Hoss glared at him as he walked by.

Ben glanced nervously at Hoss, then forced himself not to look in the direction of Adam's room. The men herded them downstairs.

"What the devil?!" They heard Adam exclaim a few minutes later. Before long, he too, was walking down the stairs in his shorts at gunpoint.

"Sleep well, Adam?" Hoss asked jokingly, rubbing his sore shoulder.

"Yeah. Terrific." Adam sat in the blue chair near the fireplace and stared at his brother and father on the settee.

The lean man came back downstairs and walked up to a burly man, with dark curly hair and a beard. "There's no one else here," he reported.

The bearded man sat down in the red chair and smiled. "Well, Mr. Carwright. Quite a fine place you have here."

"Where is Hop Sing?" Ben asked angrily.

"A good leader cares about his men. That's my first rule, isn't it, Jorge?"

The lean man laughed.

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Cartwright. He's not dead yet."

"What do you want?" Ben asked, his voice like ice.

The bearded man picked up a piece of kindling and began breaking strips off of it. "A fair question. But not the most polite, eh? Isn't it proper etiquette to make introductions first?" Angry glares met his gaze. He stood, snapped his heels together, and bowed slightly. "My name is Rafael Ulibarra. I am a wanted man." He straightened himself and stared from one Cartwright to the next. "Isn't that right, Jorge?" He asked, and laughed.

"By women and men!" Jorge yelled, and all the man's gang laughed heartily.

"You," Rafael said, "are Mr. Ben Cartwright. A powerful man. A rich man. And now... " Rafael tossed a splinter of wood towards Ben's face. He flinched. "A very frightened man."

"My Pa asked you what you want," Hoss growled.

Rafael curled his fingers in his beard and smiled. "So he did," he said, laughing again. "When I feel like answering you, I will," he snarled and walked out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Cooch! Stop it already!" Joe grumbled, shoving the horse's nose away from his hair. He rolled over and curled up in his blanket, hoping to get at least another hour's sleep before getting up.

The horse nudged his head again. Little Joe crawled away from his horse and sat up. "Aw, what do you want?!"

The horse snorted. Joe grumpily got to his feet and retrieved the canteen and his hat. He poured a small amount into the hat and held it out for his horse. Cochise drank greedily, then nuzzled Joe's neck. "Oh, you know I can't stay mad at you," Joe said, affectionately patting the animal's neck. "Besides, it's almost sunrise anyway." Joe tossed away the excess water from his hat and plopped it on his head. He opened the canteen again and looked inside. "Well, I guess the coffee can wait until I get home." He took a quick swig and replaced the lid, then busied himself with packing up camp.

* * *

Hoss shifted uncomfortably, and tried to find a new position to rest his arm. Adam looked as if he was dozing, but Hoss knew better. Ben looked at both of his sons, then glanced around the room at the men who were guarding them. They were outnumbered, two to one.

Ben turned his head and craned to see into the kitchen. If only Hop Sing were all right, that would change the odds considerably...

"You have a very comfortable bed, Mr. Cartwright," Rafael announced as he descended the stairs. He walked until he stood right in front of Ben. Ben glared at him in defiance. "And now, I shall answer a part of your question."

Rafael squatted down in front of Ben and lowered his voice. Hoss noticed Adam's eyes were open, though he'd not changed position at all. "I want to be free of a nightmare, Cartwright. A nightmare that was begun by you."

"You don't make any sense," Ben said quietly.

"Don't I? Rafael Ulibarra, Mr. Cartwright. Think, and I'm sure you will remember."

Ben thought back as hard as he could, but could not make the connection. He was surprised by the blow to his face.

Hoss was on his feet, standing between his father and Ulibarra. Just as he reached out to grab the bearded man, a click sounded next to his ear.

"Sit down, Hoss," Ben whispered quietly.

Turning his head angrily, Hoss stared down the man who held the gun on him. He sat back down slowly.

Ulibarra grabbed Ben roughly by the shirt. "How dare you forget!" He pushed the man away from him heavily.

Adam sat up straighter now, and gave his family members a questioning look.

Ben nodded, and then Hoss. Yes, they were all right.

"My mother was Alesia Ulibarra," Rafael said quietly, but with venom.

Instantly, recognition dawned on Ben. He drew a breath and held it.

"Because of you, I was born of a dead woman. Because of you, I was raised in an orphanage! Because of you," he turned and held an accusing finger at Ben, "I am a poor man, with no honor to my name."

"If you have no honor, that is your own doing," Ben said quietly.

Rafael replied by kicking him. "Shut up! Shut up!" He kicked Ben again for emphasis.

Hoss squirmed, wanting to protect his father, but still feeling the barrel of the gun next to his ear.

Ulibarra closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "You Cartwrights think because you have so much money, you own so much land, that you are better than everyone else. Well, Ben Cartwright, I'm going to teach you that you are not so high and mighty, if it's the last thing I do."

After a long silence, The man withdrew and the guards stepped back a few feet.

"Pa?" Adam asked softly.

"I'm all right," Ben answered, rubbing the sore places on his leg.

"Pa, what's this fella talkin' about?" Hoss asked.

Slowly, Ben eased his back against the cushion of the settee. He sighed. "About a year before Little Joe was born, there was some trouble in Virginia City. Roy Coffee asked me to come into town and help him out. He deputized me, and set me to work keeping things calm at the Bucket of Blood."

Adam leaned forward and looked around at their captors. He noticed that they, too, were taking an interest in his father's story.

"Well, things heated up, and I wasn't very good at cooling them down. There was gunplay, and a young man named Ulibarra killed a man. I had to bring him in."

"He was a nice fella, Ulibarra. I felt terrible about him being in jail for murder. I felt like it was all my fault for letting things get out of hand, but Roy assured me that I'd done everything I could."

"The real troublemakers in town were the members of a gang run by a man named Vasquez. Vasquez himself was the one who'd caused the gunfight, and he wanted the situation resolved quickly so he could break away clean. He stirred up the people in the town, brought them to the jail. Roy and I tried to fend them off, but they overpowered us. They dragged Ulibarra out of the cell and lynched him."

"A woman, Alesia Ulibarra, showed up the next day from Nogales. She was with child, more than eight months along. The news...the shock of it..." Ben rubbed his face wearily with his hands. "She died in childbirth."

"Pa, you couldn't help that none!" Hoss protested, resting his left hand on his father's arm.

"Oh, I know it, son. But this Rafael believes it was my fault. And that's what matters right now."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The rope looped easily around the animal's neck and began to tighten as it ran away. Quickly, Joe wrapped the rope around his saddlehorn and braced Cochise to stop her. After a brief struggle, he'd captured the renegade. He walked Cooch a few paces toward her and then began leading her back to the others.

"You're one spunky little critter, I'll give you that," Joe said to the cow, the same one who'd sent Hoss home early. He looked up and was rewarded with a view of the larger herd, grazing comfortably in the East pasture. Little Joe smiled. Just a few more hours, and he could get a bath and one of Hop Sing's meals.

* * *

Jorge glanced quickly out the front window, lowered his rifle, and opened the door. Three rough-looking, trail weary men entered the house. Jorge shook hands with each.

"Grub?" The blond asked. Jorge pointed toward the kitchen. The blond nodded, and the other two ambled off.

"It sure is good to see you, Avery," Jorge said.

"How are things going here?"

"According to plan, except one of them isn't home."

"Which one?"

"The youngest, Little Joe."

The blond man sniffed, then slapped Jorge on the shoulder and smiled. "Where's Rafael?"

"He's upstairs." Jorge smiled. "I think he was afraid he'd kill one of them if he stayed down here too long."

The men laughed. Avery gave the Cartwrights a cold stare as he went past them and up the stairs. The three Cartwrights turned their heads when they heard stumbling behind them. They watched as Hop Sing was pushed out of the kitchen and forced into the room. He fell into a seat on the stones of the fireplace. Adam quickly got up and helped the chinaman into his chair, then sat at the mantle himself.

Once the guards had backed off again, Hop Sing help a hand up to the back of his head.

"You all right, Hop Sing?" Ben asked.

He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "They hit me."

Quietly, Adam slipped off the hearth and moved closer to him. He inspected Hop Sing's head. "It's not bleeding," he announced. He gave the cook a reassuring pat on the arm. Hop Sing turned his head and rested it gently against the back of the chair. He shut his eyes, and Adam returned to the hearth.

They heard swift steps coming down the stairs and directed their attention that way.

"All right, old man, you're gonna open that safe for me," announced Rafael. Ben slowly stood, noticing the gunman who'd moved in closer to him. Sinclair was waiting for them in the office. Rafael gave Ben a harsh push, causing him to fall against the big, oak desk.

Both Hoss and Adam stood, only to be forced to sit back down at gunpoint. Hoss craned his neck to watch the proceedings in the office.

Ben knelt down slowly and began working the combination, with a gun at his ear. His mind was racing. They'd gained Hop Sing, but Ulibarra had gained Sinclair and two others. Little Joe was their only chance now. Ben prayed that Little Joe would make it home soon and realize what was going on in time to save them.

The safe door swung open slowly and Ulibarra yanked Ben backwards by the hair.

He watched as Sinclair took the money out of the safe and replaced it with money from his own wallet. The men then shut the safe and herded Ben back to his seat on the settee.

* * *

It was threatening rain again. The wind had been blowing heavily for the last half of an hour, changing direction often, and the sky was filled with dark clouds. Little Joe yawned. For some reason, rainy weather always made him sleepy. Giving Cochise his head, Joe stretched his arms up and yawned again. Although he wanted to move faster, he knew Cochise was tired and, as Pa always said, "Tend to your horse first."

Finally, they drew near enough to see the house. Joe picked up the loose reins and stopped Cooch. Something wasn't right. The lamp was out in his father's room. When it was dark and they were waiting for someone to come home, they always left a lamp burning in Ben's room. The first part of the house that came into view was the upper floor, and the lamp always welcomed them home.

Warily, Joe continued forward. He noticed several unfamiliar horses tethered outside, although it was really too dark to make out their features. He counted them. Nine unfamiliar horses. Too many to be just visitors. Joe led Cooch around the back side of the barn and dismounted. He eased his rifle out of its scabbard and quickly checked that it was loaded.

The howling wind was an advantage now. It was loud enough to cover the sound of his footsteps. He scurried to the side of the house, keeping his body crouched low. Once he neared the window, Joe hunched beside it and strained his ears.

Hearing nothing, he slowly raised his head to peek inside. He saw Hop Sing sitting in a chair, looking none too well. He could make out the back of his Pa and Hoss' heads on the settee, and just then, Adam looked right at him.

His oldest brother seemed excited to see him, but quickly hid his reaction. Now Joe _knew_ something was terribly wrong. He saw a man with a rifle move to stand in front of Adam, and then Joe ducked down again.

He peeked through the window again, but was unable to determine anything new. Adam purposely avoided looking in that direction, not wanting to give Joe's position away. Quietly, Joe backtracked to the barn, where he'd left Cochise.

His mind was racing. Nine horses meant nine men. And his family was being held captive by them. As Joe reached to replace the rifle in its sheath, he wished that he had a shotgun instead. The only thing to do was get some help. There was no way he could take on nine men alone. At least, not without risking his family.

Stealthily, he led Cochise farther from the house and mounted up.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Pa, I was just thinking about that time Little Joe ran off. He couldn't have been more than eight years old, and there was a storm just like the one brewing tonight..."

Ben looked swiftly up at Adam, wondering why on earth he would bring up such a thing at a time like this. To his surprise, Adam was wearing an easy smile.

"Yeah, he stayed out all night by himself. When we found him in the mornin', he still didn't wanna come home!" Hoss added.

"That's right, Hoss. Yes, Joe's always been able to take good care of himself." The expression on Ben's face was a question, which Adam answered with a subtle nod. Ben relaxed slightly, and then Hoss.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set now, and the storm had not yet begun. The wind, however, was relentless. In the fading light, Joe saw a figure on a horse approaching. He tucked himself into a stand of trees and waited for the man to pass.

"Doc?" Joe asked, when recognition dawned.

The doctor turned, startled.

Joe walked out of the trees and greeted the Doctor warmly. "What are you doing out this way?" he asked.

"Well, I promised your brother I'd bring him something for the pain in that shoulder of his. The mail was late comin' in because of the weather, and I just got the package."

"What about your buggy?"

Doc Martin shook his head. "Tryin' to drive that thing in wind like this is more trouble than it's worth."

"Doc, climb down from there a minute? We need to talk."

Curious, the doctor dismounted and followed Joe to the trees, where they had at least some shelter from the wind.

* * *

The doctor took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Despite what Little Joe had told him, everything in the house appeared to be normal. All the horses were put away, and the house was quiet with lights burning in most of the windows. There was the sound of voices coming from the bunkhouse.

The door opened, and Paul was facing Hoss. He had dark rings around his eyes and looked distressed. "Doc, what are you doin' here?" Hoss asked.

"Well, now, Hoss I told you I'd be bringing out that medicine for your shoulder. Let me in out of this wind and I'll-" The door swung open wider, and Doc Martin saw that he was being held at gunpoint by a stranger.

"Get him inside," the man said.

Both Hoss and the doctor moved into the room.

"What in tarnation is going on here?" Paul demanded.

"Who are you?" Sinclair demanded.

"I'm Doctor Paul Martin. I came out here to bring some medicine for Hoss." He nodded in Hoss' direction as he spoke.

Avery looked from one man to the other, as if just noticing that Hoss' arm was in a sling. "Show it to me."

The doctor very carefully opened his bag and retrieved a small bottle. Avery took it from him, opened it, and smelled it. He gave it back. "Go on, give it to him," he said and walked toward the office.

"Doc, I think Hop Sing could use that worse than me," Hoss said.

"What happened to Hop Sing?" the doctor asked, moving over to him.

"They hit him on the head," Ben explained.

The doctor measured out some of the medicine and gave it to Hop Sing, who promptly turned his head to the side and tried to go to sleep.

"Paul?" Ben asked.

"That's quite a bump, but I think he'll be all right," he said, and all the Cartwrights were relieved. The doctor looked around. There were four men guarding them, and the man who'd inspected the bottle of medicine. That meant there were at least four men in the bunkhouse, if Joe had figured right. He sat down in the vacant cushioned chair.

"How's that shoulder feel?" he asked Hoss.

"About the same, I reckon," he said.

"I ran into Joe on the road."

This got everyone's interest. Even Hop Sing opened his eyes.

"He said he was worried about one of the cowhands drinking on the job. He was gonna go spend the night out there, see for himself." Nervously, the doctor glanced down at his bag.

Adam shifted forward at his seat on the hearth. He glanced at his father and brother, and all were thinking the same thing: Little Joe had gone for help.

* * *

"If just one of you fellas can come back with me, that would sure help," Joe said. The three men sat on horseback and spoke from their saddles while the herd stood in the field behind them, settling down for the night. The storm had finally blown over.

"We'll both go with you, Joe."

"No, somebody should stay with the herd."

"What's gonna happen without us here? At worst, they get spread out some and we round 'em up as strays in a couple of days."

"We owe your Pa, Joe. Your family's been good to us all these years."

Little Joe shook his head soberly, and then winked at them. "Thanks, fellas. Thanks."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You've got a curious look on your face, Cartwright," Avery Sinclair said to Ben.

Ben removed his hand from his chin and sat up straight. "I was just wondering what exactly your plans are."

"Oh, you mean Rafael didn't tell you?" He was greeted with silence. "Rafael is going to head out momentarily, and you are going with him."

"I'm ready," Rafael announced from the landing on the stairs.

Sinclair drew his own weapon. "Get up, Mr. Cartwright."

Ben did as he was told. Ulibarra tied his hands in front of him and then shoved him out the front door. Sinclair followed them outside and handed a small bundle to Ulibarra.

"It's all in there," he said. "Just stick with the plan."

"It's been nice knowing you," Rafael said, and held his gun on Ben, forcing the man to spur his horse. Sinclair went back into the house.

* * *

The two hands, Jake and Tom, opened the bunkhouse door and hurried inside, six shooters out and ready to fire.

After the initial commotion, it was deathly quiet. "All right, boys, nice and easy, lay down your guns," Jake said.

The four men did as they were told. Carefully, Tom went around and tried to kick them back towards Jake and out of the way. The fourth man shoved Tom and the other three jumped into action. Two shots sounded.

The commotion in the bunkhouse was the diversion the captives needed. Hoss agilely leapt up and tackled Jorge, knocking him to the floor. He knocked him out with a quick left. Simultaneously, Doc Martin ripped open his doctor's bag, tore out the board underneath the instruments and handed Adam his little brother's gun. Then he and Hop Sing raced for the back door and headed for the woods.

Adam shot the gun out of Sinclair's hand and quickly drew the hammer back. He aimed it at one of the two remaining guards. The other one threw a handful of chess pieces at Adam and dove behind a chair. Little Joe burst in through the front door. The other man got off one shot before Joe's rifle fired. He fell to the floor in a heap. The man behind the chair moved slightly.

"Don't try it," Joe warned. The man put his hands up. "You all right, Adam?"

"Yeah, " Adam gasped, holding tightly to the side of his thigh. Hoss shoved Sinclair over next to the other unarmed man and then helped his older brother off the floor and onto the settee.

"It just grazed him, Joe. He'll be all right," Hoss said. The front door opened, and Jake and Tom pushed in two of the four men from the bunkhouse.

"I thought there were four," Joe said.

"There _was_," Tom said.

Joe understood. "You fellas help me get these men tied up. Hoss, go get Doc Martin to look after Adam. He should be in the woods back there." Joe tilted his head in the direction of the back door. Hoss nodded and walked swiftly out, resettling his arm in its sling as he went.

"Where's Pa?" Joe asked.

"Ulibarra took him. About a half hour ago," Adam explained through gritted teeth. "Go after him, Joe. I think he's gonna kill him."

Seeing that Tom and Jake had the outlaws under control, Joe retrieved his handgun from his brother and swiftly left the house.

* * *

"I did everything I could to protect your father," Ben said quietly.

"Shut up!" Rafael shouted. "You put him in jail. Then you let those vigilantes grab him. You might as well have shot my mother, but no... I suppose it was more entertaining for you to watch her suffer from the grief."

"They held us at gunpoint, there was nothing we could-" Ben's sentence was interrupted by the calf-rope that landed around his chest and pulled him off the horse and onto the ground. He heard his arm snap at the impact.

Ulibarra dismounted and stood over him. "I've waited for this a long time, Cartwright. Ever since that day I first heard your name." He pulled the hammer back on his .45.

Waves of pain radiated from the broken bone, and Ben struggled to control his breath. As he looked up to meet the eyes of his killer, a single shot caused the man to fall backwards. Ben watched as he crumpled to the ground and expelled his final breath. Ben squeezed his eyes shut and shook.

"Pa? Pa, you all right?"

Opening his eyes, Ben saw his youngest squatted before him. He took the boy's hand with his right and let Joe help him sit up. He was at a loss for words.

"You all right, Pa?" Joe asked again.

Ben leaned forward and hugged him with his healthy right arm. "Joe...oh, Joe..."

Gently, Little Joe returned the embrace.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The pot on the stove was boiling over. Hastily, Joe grabbed it, without a potholder and quickly withdrew his hand, yelping. After sucking on the burned finger a moment, he grabbed a potholder and pulled the boiling soup off the stove.

"Everything all right in there, Joseph?" Ben called from the living room.

"F-f-fine, Pa. Just getting dinner ready," Joe said. Then he grumbled, "Bunch of accident-prone, useless people in this family...Now I gotta do everything!"

"Hey, Joe! Hop Sing said he's hungry. Where's dinner?" Hoss asked from the dining table.

"It's comin' already! Jeez, give me a minute!"

"Joseph!"

"Sorry, Pa."

Joe took a handful of bowls and spoons in his right hand and the steaming soup pan in his left and pushed backwards through the kitchen door and into the dining room. Grumpily, he served up a bowl for Hop Sing, his Pa, and Hoss. Then he began scooping out some for Adam.

"Oh, don't bother with Adam's," Hoss said. "He's asleep."

"Asleep?"

"Yeah, he was plumb tuckered out. He wanted to stay up until after dinner, but I told him not to worry, that you'd be happy to bring him something later." Hoss smiled pleasantly at his brother.

Joe presented Hoss with a very unhappy smile. "Oh, that's what you told him, is it?"

Hoss nodded.

Joe finished filling the bowl with soup and started up the stairs.

"Hey, Joe, where you goin'?"

"He's gonna eat now or not at all," Joe explained and marched up the stairs.

"I wonder why he's so grumpy all of the sudden?" Hoss pondered aloud.

"You wonder?" Hop Sing said accusingly. "Take care of Cartlites hard work! You no appreciate! You just eat all time, fill up belly, never think about how hard Hop Sing work-" from here, the man began to rant in Chinese.

"That's enough, Hop Sing!" Ben said.

"Well, I didn't mean to make trouble for him, Pa."

"I know you didn't, son."

There was a knock at the door. The three men at the table all stood and went to answer it.

It was Sheriff Coffee. "Hello, Ben, Hoss, Hop Sing. I hope you're feeling better?"

They all nodded.

"I just wanted to get that money you said Sinclair put into your safe. I've brought you your money back."

"Oh, sure, Roy." Ben walked over and opened the safe. Then he stood and looked at the others.

"What's the matter, Ben?"

"It's not in there."

"It's not?" Roy went to have a look for himself.

Suddenly, Ben snapped his fingers. "Sinclair gave Ulibarra a package when he took me from the house."

"You think he gave Ulibarra the Railroad money?"

Hoss perked up. "Sure, that's it! Sinclair kept all the Cartwright money and sent Ulibarra packing the Railroad money. Then Sinclair gets twice as much money and Ulibarra would have to pay when he got caught with those numbered bills!"

Roy nodded. "I reckon that does make sense after all. I guess I just wasted a trip." He started for the door.

"Roy, would you like some soup?"

The Sheriff smiled eagerly. "I sure do love Hop Sing's cookin'." He started for the table.

"Hop Sing no cook. Little Joe cook soup."

Roy stopped. "Come to think of it, I have a lot of work to do in town. I'll check in with you soon. Say hello to Adam and Joe for me." With that, Roy was out the door.

As they sat back down to dinner, they were stopped by shouting from upstairs.

"Fine then, see if I ever cook for you again!"

"-no consideration whatsoever!"

"You can starve for all I care!"

Then they heard a crash, like a bowl breaking, followed by the slam of a door. None could help from giggling when they saw Joe on the stair landing, with noodles hanging off his curls.

The End


End file.
